Seeker 336

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Chapter 336. War Council (1)

The decision to hold a war council came shortly after the discussion with Kushinosuke concluded.

In a tatami-matted room, a dozen or so people, including us, were seated in a circle.

Among them were Mikoto-san, Kushinosuke, the Shogun, who was the highest authority in this country, and several Mononofu warriors, who seemed to be high-ranking military officers.

On the far wall of the room, there was a large sheet of paper, similar to the poster boards used for school presentations.

The large paper displayed the terrain of the expected battlefield, as well as the special abilities and stats of Yamata no Orochi.

Yuzuki, crossing his arms and looking at the stats on the large paper, let out a thoughtful groan.

"Hmm... HP 2200, attack power 110, defense power 240, agility 65, magic power 80. Compared to the incomplete Kraken, its defense is extraordinarily high."

Indeed, as Yuzuki pointed out, Yamata no Orochi's defense was the highest I had ever seen.

For reference, the stats of the incomplete Kraken are HP 1800, attack power 110, defense power 135, agility 55, and magic power 65.

"And its special abilities are quite troublesome too. [Eightfold Attack] is insane. It's not like Hydra, which has low attack power."

I added.

Having [Eightfold Attack] means that each of its eight heads can attack independently, like separate monsters.

Even though Kraken's [Tentacle Rampage] is also a multi-hit attack, it requires a cooldown after use, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

"Additionally, there's [Fire Breath], [Regeneration (200)], and [Anti-Magic Barrier II]. I haven't seen a special ability called [Anti-Magic Barrier] before. Plus, it has resistance to fire. We might be at a disadvantage."

"Hey Daichi-kun, you're not saying that each of the eight heads can shoot [Fire Breath] like a dragon, right?"

"I don't think so. When the Hydra with [Fivefold Attack] used [Poison Breath], all the heads spewed poison at once, making it a single special ability."

"Oh, right, I remember now."

Yuzuki, Kazane, and I exchanged our thoughts as we looked at the abilities of Yamata no Orochi listed on the large paper.

Mikoto-san interjected.

"The attack power is indeed terrifying, but what stands out the most about Yamata no Orochi's strength is its high defense and regeneration abilities. Both physical and magical attacks would hardly leave a scratch, and any damage it does sustain would be quickly healed."

"It’s a lot like Hydra. If we think of it as an advanced version of Hydra, the question is whether we can deal enough damage to overcome its defense and regeneration."

"Even though it's hard to land a decent hit, Mikoto's attack did manage to get through, right?"

"Yes. Using the sacred sword Kikuichimonji, bestowed by this Shogun, my [Double Slash] was able to cut through Yamata no Orochi's tough scales and deal about 100 HP worth of damage. However, it soon regenerated."

Mikoto-san stared intently at the three of us.

Her eyes seemed to say, "I'm counting on you."

Even if Mikoto-san alone couldn't surpass Yamata no Orochi's regeneration ability, if there were three more awakeners with her level of power, it would be a different story.

If the four of us could deal continuous damage faster than Yamata no Orochi could regenerate, we might have a chance of winning.

Of course, that's assuming we don't get taken down in the process.

Just then, the Shogun, who had been silently listening to the discussion, began to speak.

"But Mikoto, the problem isn't just that. Unless we lure that monster using Kushina as a [Priestess], we will be on the back foot, and the people will suffer greatly. If we decide to lure it out, how will we protect Kushina?"

"That's..."

Mikoto-san hesitated.

I didn't quite understand the situation, so I asked for more details.

It turned out to be as follows.

If nothing is done, Yamata no Orochi will appear suddenly somewhere in the Koshi mountains after sunset.

Until then, the physical form of Yamata no Orochi will not be visible.

After appearing somewhere in the mountains, Yamata no Orochi will descend and begin attacking human settlements.

However, it’s unpredictable which side of the mountain it will descend from and which village or town it will attack.

It’s impossible to prepare for all possible outcomes.

If we try to hunt it down based on its natural appearance, by the time the subjugation squad catches up with Yamata no Orochi, one or two villages or towns might already be destroyed.

Such a method would not protect the people of the country.

However, there is one way to control Yamata no Orochi's direction.

That is by using a "priestess" to lure it.

When a prepared "priestess" meets the conditions on the day, Yamata no Orochi will appear at that moment and rush towards the priestess to devour her.

Various tactics have been considered using this luring method, but so far, all have failed.

But this time, there's no choice but to use it.

However, there is one problem.

How to protect Kushinosuke, who will become the target as the "priestess."

No one could probably stop the charge of Yamata no Orochi's massive body.

Even if our maximum force, including us and Mikoto-san, tries to stop it, we would likely be blown away or crushed, like trying to face a runaway dump truck as unarmed humans.

It would be ideal if we could deal the maximum damage and kill it instantly at the first contact, but it's not that simple of an opponent.

Therefore, we need to find a way to protect or evacuate Kushinosuke, who meets the "priestess" conditions, and draw Yamata no Orochi's attention to us.

"Can't Kushinosuke—Princess Kushina escape on horseback or something?"

Kazane asked, and Mikoto-san made a difficult face.

"In that case, there's the problem of how we would chase and attack Yamata no Orochi as it pursues the princess on horseback. Moreover, despite its appearance, Orochi is incredibly fast. Even the country's fastest horse probably couldn't outrun it."

"Then it would be difficult even for Griff... wait, hold on."

I had an idea and decided to present it on the spot.

I was worried about proposing an amateur strategy in a war council and being laughed at, but—

After I finished explaining my plan, Mikoto-san responded.

"If that method works, it might just succeed. While considering alternative plans, let's make this the primary plan. If it goes well, it will be a stroke of luck."

Everyone present nodded at her opinion.

It seemed that my amateur strategy was adopted as the primary plan.

"We have one suggestion as well. May we?"

Next, one of the Mononofu warriors, who seemed to be a high-ranking officer, spoke up.